Air travel can be costly and, of course, tiring. Flying business class, however, offers the opportunity to make the most of the journey-a great way to travel and to reach the destination invigorated and stress-free. Business class flights are pampered with top-notch lounges, multi-course meals, Internet accessibility, private screens and entertainment systems. Getting expert advice and travel tips can therefore worth the effort in finding airline deals to make flying experience the best it can be. Flying in business or first class, especially, at a price of an airline deal on a business class seat is very well the Holy Grail of air travel. And there are ways to work the upgrades deals on business class seats.
Airlines’ Own Websites
Airlines’ own websites offer great possibilities to find the lowest available fares on business class seats and they may show many fare options. One of the advantages of finding an airline deal on a business class seat on the airlines sites is that the sale s established directly with the airline. It becomes swell more so when flights are cancelled for it will be easier to negotiate an alternative with an airline agent when ticket is purchased directly with them.
Frequent Flyer Miles Program
The frequent flyer miles program with an “elite” status member offers a better chance with more options and better odds at getting that upgrade for a deal on a business class seat. Using frequent flyer miles for an upgrade to a business class seat offers better value for the miles used compared to using miles to purchase a coach award ticket. Upgrade inventory, though, can be limited. It is best to book as far in advance as possible and be flexible about mid-week travel, if possible. Further, upgrades can be doable days and hours before departure-by being on the waiting list.
Travel Agents
The professionals in air travel are the travel agents with the relevant experience about the nuances of air travel. A good and reputable travel agent may well worth the help to find airline deals on business class seats, especially for foreign travel with complex itineraries. Helpful agents do all the work and help eliminate the stress and inconvenience of plodding through endless discount-air fare websites. Also travel agents often have access to special consolidated fares that are not offered directly by the airlines. And knowing all the conditions and restrictions associated with a consolidated fare ticket is key to getting that good value.
Airline-Independent Sites
Airline-independent sites are a good resource for surveying all the airline offerings at once. Among the most popular airline-independent sites where to find deals on business class seats include sites such as:
- Expedia: one of the world’s leading online travel companies using leading technology-websites, mobile apps and Facebook page to discover destination ideas, get information about flights, hotels, care rentals, cruises, and more. Expedia also offers member rewards program with hotel price guarantees, earning points booking for others, and VIP access hotel room benefits.
- Orbitz for Business: offers a full service and fully integrated approach to travel and expense management by combining leading technology with expert support to achieve savings in travel expense needed.
- Travelocity: offers the most comprehensive guarantee in the travel industry. The Travelocity Guarantee is key in Travelocity’s business model, guaranteeing the best prices in air travel-that matches lower prices online or will refund the difference if a lower price is found elsewhere.
- Kayak: a tech company co-founded by Expedia, Travelocity, and Orbitz, with a different approach in air travel and focus on making airline travel better. At Kayak.Com website and Kayak mobile apps on any SmartPhone or tablet, one can compare hundreds of travel sites in one comprehensive, fast and intuitive display and choose where to book.
- Cook Travel: offers negotiated first class airline tickets and exclusive business class airfare discounts. Cook Travel offers airfare savings of 10 to 60 percent off, as well as 2 for 1 airfare discounts worth pursuing.
- WholesaleFlights: a boutique travel agency specializing in discount business and first class flights. WholeSale.Com offers customer service with the personal touch of a friendly travel concierge helping with the research and providing several discount flight options in both business and first class.
- OneTravel: offers a wide selection of business and first class flights with a low fare promise subject to terms and conditions, good for website bookings only.
- CheapOair: also offers opportunities to explore cheap business class flight deals.
Other Ideas
Taking advantage of what is known as fare buckets is also a great way to gain savings in air travel. The further in advance a ticket is purchased the more fare options there are. On some flights there may be over a dozen different fares for coach, business or first class seats. However, it is often the case, that the cheaper the fare, the more restrictions and conditions there are attached to that bucket. And the few ways to find a cheaper fare bucket seat may be to change the time of departure or leaving a day earlier or later.
Further, there is also the website, ExpertFlyer.Com, an airline-independent website that does not sell tickets; rather, the site lists all the fares and rules for all flights. ExpertFlyer.Com is designed to meet needs of the frequent flyer, the airline mileage program “elite-tier” passengers, professional travel managers, and the occasional air traveler looking for the best values. ExpertFlyer.Com is a 24/7 real-time powerful air travel information service and offers information on seat maps on specific flights that show which flights are occupied or not.
Generally, the cost and rigors of air travel can be daunting. Ways these rigors can be minimized is to travel smart. Other useful resources worth taking a look at when making travel plans are websites such as SeatGuru and SeatExpert-sites with proven technology that offer designs of the cabins and graphical layouts of seats and the pros and cons for the various seats on the planes.